Notes and Editorial Reviews

According to the booklet notes for this collection of orchestral music from Italian operas, Licata has conducted Italian opera extensively, at least in Italy. There’s nothing about the performances to argue otherwise, apart from an overly solemn treatment of the fatal chords that open La forza del destino. Licata eschews the sometimes overly driven playing of Muti and Toscanini, nevertheless managing to retain the music’s drama. The RPO plays very well for him; consider, for example, the brass chorale at 4: 46 in the aforementioned Overture. The burnished engineering also suits the music. My only reservation is the ordering of the selections, which has no rhyme or reason, taking Verdi out of chronological order and interspersing him withRead more preludes and intermezzos by the verismo composers. If this program, more or less, is what you need, Licata and the RPO do it very well.

Customer Reviews

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